SeaTac minimum wage measure up by 53 votes

SEATAC — An initiative that seeks to establish a $15 minimum wage for many workers in SeaTac is leading by 53 votes.

After Thursday’s ballot drop, the measure was passing with 2,837 “yes” votes compared to 2,784 “no” votes. That’s an improvement for proponents of the measure, which led by 19 points after Wednesday’s count. Another tally is expected to be released today.

On election night, the initiative was leading by a 261-vote margin — a decent gap in a race that’s likely to draw maybe 6,000 total votes. Supporters declared victory but have since lost much of their advantage.

Washington has the nation’s highest state minimum wage at $9.19 an hour; the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour